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Today is a great day for the planet. It is National Tree Day which has been helping preserve our natural environment and all its inhabitants for 22 years. It is the nations biggest tree planting event with hundreds being held across Australia today. Every single year about 300,000 people pitch in and volunteer their time to help the planet. Since the event started over 4 million caring individuals have planted over 24 million plants and trees. That is a truly amazing effort. It is so incredibly important that we have these kinds of events.

Deforestation is spreading all around the world like an infection. It is the biggest threat to biodiversity. It is driving untold amounts of species towards the edge of existence, towards extinction. We have taken so much from the very planet that has given us so much but despite that, we treat it like trash. Now we have to give back what we have taken from our planet and National Tree Day is helping us to do that.

​Yesterday I joined Mayor Tom Tate and my fellow ambassador Jasmine, who also does work with Wildcare, to launch this financial years NaturallyGC program in the beautiful Hinterland Park. Channel 7 and 9 Gold Coast news reported on the story.

The NaturallyGC program is such an asset to the Gold Coast community and environment. They put on hundreds of free and low-cost nature-based events every year. Everything from tree planting to guided bush walks to wildlife encounters and even an event with the one and only Steve Parish! This financial year there is a big focus on aboriginal culture with a lot of events centred around their fascinating culture that has lasted for thousands of years. So as you can see there is something for every member of the family from toddlers to adults. What a great way to spend time as a family in the outdoors.

I encourage you to get along and participate in some of the NaturallyGC events. The booklet is available online here and is also at you local City Of Gold Coast library. And remember to become a NaturallyGC member today. By doing this you will be kept up to date with all the upcoming events. To become a member click here.

​Plastic Free July is a challenge run every year. It started in 2011 in Western Australia. Today millions of people all around the world take part. The participant's aim is to be plastic free for the whole month.

We need people to take on these kinds of challenges for the planet because plastic pollution is such a huge and widespread issue across our planet. When people throw it "out" it is out of sight and mind. But the unfortunate truth is that there is no such thing as "out". Plastic never goes away. That straw that you use for five minutes will still be sitting there in a landfill when you have passed away. It is a substance that we have created that the Earth cannot digest. Not even "biodegradable plastics" go away. What they do is break up into smaller and smaller pieces of plastic. This can actually be an even bigger problem for the planet and its wildlife. So without further ado here are some top tips for reducing your plastic usage this July.

We all use them. Plastic water bottles, bags, straws, cutlery, plates, glad wrap, ziplock bags and so on. Plastic items that are only used once then discarded into landfill or into the environment where they will stay forever. It is so easy to go without these items. Instead of using a straw drink out of the cup or get yourself a metal straw and use that. Instead of using plastic plates and cutlery use reusable ones. Instead of using ziplock bags and glad wrap to wrap lunches use reusable containers. Instead of using a plastic water bottle use a reusable one. And for the plastic bag just use a reusable bag. It is so simple and easy, anyone could do it.

This is possibly one of the best tips I can give you to reduce your plastic usage. The little things like plastic straws and forks really do add up. We are all part of the waste problem but as you can see we are also all part of the solution. We can help build a future free from plastic. But we have to do it together.